Police: Coast Guardsman's shooting, caught on video, started with call to gay prostitute

View full sizeMobile County District Court records indicate that the fatal shooting of a U.S. Coast Guard technician was captured on surveillance video. Police have charged Christopher Anthony Williams (left) and Shaniah Woods with murder.

In an affidavit seeking a search warrant for the home of victim Robert A. “Andrew” Roberts and the motel where the fatal shooting occurred, Mobile police Cpl. Donald Pears wrote that the 31-year-old man placed several phone calls to a gay prostitution line on March 20.

Shaniah Michele Woods and Christopher Anthony Williams, both 25, have pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Earlier today, Mobile County District Judge Jay York ordered both held without bail.

According to an affidavit from Cpl. Nicholas Crepeau, a video surveillance camera at the Baymont Inn & Suites off of Interstate 65 recorded two people walking into Room 147 at about 8:30 p.m. on the night of the shooting. A few minutes later, the pair left along with Roberts.

The affidavit refers to the two people entering the room as a black male and a black female. In fact, both of the defendants are men. Woods wears his black hair at shoulder length and dresses as a woman.

Attorneys for Williams and Woods said earlier today that it was premature to comment. Jason Darley, an attorney for Williams, reiterated this evening that it is too early in the case discuss the allegations.

York scheduled a preliminary hearing for May 22. According to Crepeau’s affidavit, the surveillance footage shows Roberts getting into “an altercation with the two suspects and then being shot.”

The suspects then fled, Crepeau wrote.

Crepeau wrote that a front desk clerk told police that “the black male and black female suspects” were at the motel at 7:14 p.m. with another black man, who checked into Room 148. Because the air conditioning was not working, he moved to Room 158, according to the affidavit.

Police searched both rooms, seizing a used condom, a key card, a drink bottle and a bottle of wine from Room 148. From Room 158, police collected a condom wrapper, a pair of key cards and a key card holder, according to court records.

From the room Roberts was in, police took a pair of key cards, a key card holder and a cell phone, court records show.